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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. band — a ring
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. press — a publisher
  11. season — in sport
  12. band — a music group
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. toast — bread
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. press — to push
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. press — newspapers
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com